After the Fool's Journey
by Skull Jokes
Summary: "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will." This thought repeated in his head as he prepared to face his last day in this world. What he didn't expect was what happened afterwards. [ONESHOT]


Just a few more hours. By this afternoon he will have kept his promise and will have departed from the world he knows. What other choice did he have besides sacrificing himself? Makoto Yuki shook his head, there was no point thinking about this anymore. 'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will'. The sentence echoed in his mind as he put on his uniform.

Today was March 5th, graduation day for the seniors. Among them were Akihiko and Mitsuru, two of his valued comrades and friends. Two people that stood with him when facing death itself. Makoto released a depressed sigh. 'Not that they remember that, of course.'

His thoughts continued to drift to his other allies. Junpei, Yukari, Fuuka, Ken, Aigis, Koromaru, and Shinjiro. He could never forget the solemn and strong senior who fought alongside S.E.E.S for a brief time. His death changed things, for the first time their mission seemed _real_. It was then that he realized that he was going through the motions; that he was not really taking anything seriously.

Finally dressed and seated at his desk, Makoto decided that it was about time to head to school. Grabbing his keys, wallet, and mp3 player he bid farewell to the Iwatodai dormitory for what he knew to be the last time. On his walk to the station, he couldn't help but smile slightly at the beautiful weather. 'On my final day it seems I can truly appreciate the beauty of this world,' he thought before chuckling at how morbid it was.

That was something that surprised even himself. He was never one to show much emotion before living here. Perhaps it was the effect of spending time with the numerous people he had built relationships with this past year. Thinking back, Makoto was really impressed by how many people he had grown to know. A part of him wanted to go see everyone one last time. 'No, seeing everyone at this point would only have me doubt my decision. I chooseth this fate of mine own free will. I will take full responsibility for my actions.'

After stepping off the train he saw Gekkoukan high school in front of him. The building was the center of his life in Iwatodai. Not only did he spend most days here attending classes, but he spent many nights in its Dark Hour counterpart, Tartarus. When he was right outside the school's gate, he began to feel weak. It was only a matter of time until he faded away. He looked at the time on his mp3 player which read 9:00 am. 'Now if I'm not mistaken, the graduation ceremony begins in 1 hour. Hopefully I can make it through,' Makoto thought.

Walking through the halls of Gekkoukan he was already feeling nostalgic. He took his time walking through every hall of the building. He passed the nurse's office where he more than once was subject to the newest concoction that crazy teacher had created. Suppressing a shiver, Makoto continued through the club hall where he passed the music room and home economics room. He had spent many hours in those rooms this last year at first just to increase his combat capabilities through his social links, but he eventually grew to genuinely care for everyone.

Continuing his final walk through the school, he arrived outside the gym used by the kendo club. It was currently full of chairs for the upcoming ceremony, but he could hear the clacking of wooden swords in the back of his mind. Leaving the gym behind, he continued upstairs. Having stepped onto the second floor, he smiled slightly. This floor was home to his classroom as well as the student council room. Many good memories and valuable relationships were created on this floor.

Suddenly, a wave of lightheadedness surged through Makoto's head. He looked at his mp3 player, only 20 minutes until the ceremony began. He noticed waves of students headed toward the gym where graduation was being held. 'That's my cue,' he figured as he climbed the stairs to the roof of the school. Stepping out to the open roof he looked to his right and was pleased to see the benches were all empty. Walking over to one, he laid down. He stared at the partly-cloudy sky as he waited for what was inevitably coming. Another wave of lightheadedness hit him. 'It seems its almost time,' he thought.

Continuing to watch the clouds, he once again started to doubt his decision. 'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will. I chooseth this fate of mine own free will. I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.' He continued repeating this sentence in his mind. He clung to it as it was the only thing calming him down. For someone with enough resolve to sacrifice themselves for all of humanity, dying was still scary.

While Makoto was repeating the phrase in his head, he heard the door to the roof open. Glancing to the side he was greeted with a familiar sight. Aigis had found him. Panicking, he sat up. 'No, this can't happen. I was supposed to fulfil the promise and fade away without worrying anyone!'

"I thought I would find you here," Aigis said as she walked towards the bench he was sat at. "Why are you here alone? We promised to all meet after graduation."

His eyes widened. "You remember?" he asked. Aigis smiled as she sat down next to him.

"I never forgot," she started. "It was scary at first. No one remembered anything of what happened, I thought I was going to have to carry this burden alone. It wasn't until I saw the painful looks you gave everyone that I realized you remembered as well."

Makoto felt ashamed. He left her all alone this last month due to his desire to not worry anyone. "I am sorry you had to go through that, but I was trying to not worry anyone. I will fade away soon as I only have enough life in me to continue until graduation is over."

It was after saying this that something happened which shocked him greatly. Aigis, the anti-shadow weapon, began to shed tears. "That is not for you to decide!" she cried. "We are your friends! It is our job to worry about you. Even now, I guarantee everyone will remember and as soon as that happens, they will run here immediately!"

Makoto smiled as his vision began to blur. "Aigis, I have no doubt that you are right," he started. "But I don't have much time left. If you are resolved to spend my last moments with me then I would like to spend them peacefully."

He laid down, his head resting in Aigis' lap. "Isn't today beautiful?" he asked. Aigis wiped her tears and smiled.

"Yes, I would have to say based on previous data that today is beautiful," she answered. Makoto chuckled at how she still managed to sound robotic despite her ability to show emotion. With a contented sigh, he heard numerous footsteps coming from the direction of the door.

'At least in my final moment I can be surrounded by everyone,' he thought. The steps grew louder but his hearing began to fade. Feeling as if his time was up, he began to close his eyes for the final time.

"Makoto, they're here! Please, open your eyes!" he could faintly hear Aigis yelling. He smiled somberly. He was glad he lasted just long enough for everyone to see him before he disappears. The last thing he saw before his eyes shut, was a familiar blue butterfly.

* * *

Darkness. That was all Makoto could see. 'So, this is death? I thought it would be a bit scarier,' he mused. Suddenly a flash of blue light appeared in front of him leaving behind a blue glow. Unsure of what it was, Makoto began willing his consciousness towards it.

"Wake up!" Makoto stopped after hearing that. The voice sounded as if it was coming from all directions. Not only that, it seemed familiar to him. Regardless, he one again began heading towards the blue glow.

"Wake up!" The voice was louder this time. He began desperately rushing towards the glow. When he finally reached it, the darkness surrounding him abruptly flashed so bright that had Makoto been more than just a floating consciousness he would have needed to close his eyes or risk going blind.

Suddenly the world was replaced by blue. Makoto could feel that he had a body once more and his ears were assaulted with a familiar light opera song. Opening his eyes for the first time since his "death" he was greeted with a very familiar sight. In front of him were three individuals, two of which he had grown to know quite well.

Sitting in the center of the room was none other than Igor, in all his goblin-like glory. To his left was someone that he had grown closer to than perhaps anyone else during his stay in Iwatodai, Elizabeth. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes as he quickly looked to Igor's right where he noticed a lady that looked similar, if not slightly older than Elizabeth. Makoto took a moment to compose himself, wiping the tears on his sleeve. Looking down on himself, Makoto realized he was still clothed in his Gekkoukan high school uniform and his mp3 player was still hanging from his neck. Looking around the room, it was indeed the same Velvet Room he had spent much time in throughout his journey. The elevator was even stopped and the door behind Igor was open as it had been when facing off against Nyx. His observations were interrupted by Igor's nasally voice.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," he started. "Or should I say, welcome back. As you know this place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is truly astonishing how you ended up here despite the contract being fulfilled."

"Hello again Igor," Makoto greeted. "I am surprised myself. I never expected I would end up back here after everything that happened."

Igor chuckled. "Yes, never has one appeared in this room after the completion of their journey. It seems you truly were the most interesting guest imaginable," he said as he looked to his side. "As much as I would love to discuss this in more detail, it seems someone else has something to say."

Suddenly, Elizabeth dashed forward and enveloped Makoto in a hug. Surprised at first, he was unsure how to act, but after a moment he began to hug her back.

"It is so good to see you Makoto," Elizabeth said. "I was crushed knowing that you were going to fade away forever. This is truly a blessing!"

Smiling, Makoto escaped the hug and looked her in the eyes. "Yes, you may be right. I am so glad that I can see you once more, Elizabeth."

Their moment was interrupted by a cough coming from the other side of the room. Looking over Makoto had almost forgotten about the other woman he had noticed next to Igor.

"Ah yes, it seems I have failed to introduce my other assistant. This is Margaret, Elizabeth's older sister," Igor said. "She was not assigned to assist you but was instead tasked with observing the job her sister was doing.

"My name is Margaret," she started. "You have never met me, but I am well aware of who you are and what you've done over the course of your journey."

Makoto did not know how to react to that. It was rather awkward having someone know everything about you, but you have no idea who they were. Looking at Elizabeth who had her arms wrapped around his right arm, he noticed a big smiled on her face.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Margaret," Makoto said. "I'll be in your care for the time being."

"Speaking of that, I believe it is best we discussed what happens from now on," Igor said. "Since it appears you have "died" in the real world and your body and soul have manifested themselves here I don't believe you could leave even if you wanted to."

This surprised everyone in the room, especially Makoto. "So, what your saying is I will be stuck here forever with you and your assistants?" he asked.

Igor nodded and Elizabeth happily spoke up. "Oh! That means we can spend eternity together and maybe you could help our master assist others on their journeys!" That caught Makoto by surprise. Not only did Elizabeth basically propose to him but she had also let slip that other people would become guests of this room in the future.

"I could do the same job as Elizabeth and Margaret?" Makoto asked Igor. Igor nodded with a smile on his face.

"This is unprecedented, but I would be honored to have your aid, Makoto," Igor started. "It is the least I can do for you after you proved yourself so interesting."

Makoto did not know what to answer to this. On one hand, helping Igor would be more interesting than just hanging out in the Velvet Room for eternity, but he was unsure if he was qualified enough to be an assistant.

"May I have some time to think on my decision Igor?" he asked. Igor nodded.

"Time is one thing we have plenty of in this room. You have been told in the past that time never waits, but in this room, you will find that time never moves."

* * *

It had been awhile since Makoto had decided to help Igor by becoming an assistant in the Velvet Room. At least, he felt like it had been awhile. Time never moved after all; it was difficult to tell how long things took. Not much had changed in the room aside from his attire. Makoto now had a similar outfit to Elizabeth and Margaret, although his was a men's version of the outfit. He got to keep his mp3 player which hung around his neck. He was originally surprised to find it still worked considering there were no other electronics present in the Velvet Room, but he was not going to complain about being able to listen to his own music.

His relationship with Elizabeth improved. He loved her and she loved him, but it still was not quite what one would call a romantic relationship as Elizabeth did not know much about people. Of course, Makoto didn't mind. He considered himself lucky to be able to spend his life alongside her. One thing he had observed about the Velvet Room was that he was alive, if only in that room, but he was not living. He did not need to eat, drink or sleep. His time was spent either conversing with Igor, spending time with Elizabeth, or taking assistant lessons from Margaret.

He had grown to see Margaret as his own older sister. She was a lot less carefree than Elizabeth but was still caring. He enjoyed her lessons as she was a good teacher. It was especially interesting to learn about the responsibilities of a Velvet Room assistant after having been assisted by one in the past.

Suddenly at the end of one of Margaret's lessons, the Velvet Room began to change. Makoto was unsure how to react but after seeing how Elizabeth and Margaret did not seem fazed, he assumed everything was fine. Glancing over he noticed how Igor's grin was bigger than usual.

"Igor, what is going on?" Makoto asked.

"It is almost time that we welcomed a new guest," Igor answered. "This next guest will be aided by Margaret; however, I would like you to join her this time around."

Nodding his head in acceptance, Makoto realized nothing was said about Elizabeth. "What part does Elizabeth play in all of this?"

"Elizabeth will sit this one out similar to how Margaret did for your journey," Igor answered. "Do not worry, it will only be temporary. You'll be able to see her again after our next guest's journey."

Makoto sighed as the Velvet Room finished its transformation. Instead of the familiar elevator the room looked like the interior of a limousine. Raising an eyebrow, Igor answered his questioned before he even got a chance to ask it.

"The Velvet Room always takes a form depending on the heart of our guest. In your instance it was an elevator that symbolized your seemingly never-ending climb. In this instance it seems our guest will need to be constantly moving forward through this fog," Igor said as he gestured to the window of the vehicle.

Sure enough, he could see nothing but fog when looking outside. He found it interesting how different each instance of the Velvet Room could be. "When is our new guest scheduled to make an appearance?" Makoto asked.

"It could be any time now," Igor started. "The formation of a new Velvet Room means that a new guest will arrive. The time between the formation of the room and the guest's arrival is variable." Hearing this information, Makoto went over to Elizabeth to see her off.

"I will see you soon, Elizabeth," he said. Elizabeth smiled and hugged him.

"Yes, I will see you once the journey has concluded my dear," she said as she disappeared from the room.

With a sigh, he sat down to the right of Igor since Margaret took the left seat. With his headphones on and music playing, he closed his eyes and waited.

* * *

When Makoto opened his eyes, he noticed a silver-haired boy seated at the far end of the limousine. Taking off his headphones he looked to Igor as the goblin-like man began to speak.

"Ah... It seems we have a guest with an intriguing destiny…" Igor chuckled. "My name is Igor; I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a place that only those bound by a contract may enter. It may be that such a fate awaits you in the near future. Now then, how about you introduce yourself?"

The silver-haired boy spoke. "My name is Yu Narukami."

Igor smiled. "Hm… I see, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" he said as a deck of tarot cards appeared on the table in front of him. "Each reading is always done with the same cards, yet the result is always different. Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?"

Makoto was trying to suppress a chuckle. He remembered his first visit to the velvet room where the conversation was dominated by Igor and everything was super confusing. His thoughts were interrupted by Igor flipping cards.

"Hm… The Tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent," Igor said. "The card representing the future beyond that is the Moon in the upright position. This card represents "hesitation" and "mystery". Very interesting indeed."

At this point Makoto glanced at the guest. The boy looked completely lost at this point and he couldn't blame him. Igor had that effect on people.

"It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination, and a great mystery will be imposed upon you," he continued. "In the coming days you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. The coming year is a turning point in your destiny… If the mystery goes unsolved, your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guest to ensure that does not happen."

Igor waved his hand over the table in front of him. The deck of cards disappeared. Makoto sat up straighter in his seat.

"Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistants to you," he said. "To my left is Margaret and to my right is Makoto. Both are residents here, much like me."

Margaret spoke up first. "My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey." Makoto chuckled internally; Margaret was always so businesslike.

Realizing it was his turn, Makoto spoke for the first time. "My name is Makoto Yuki, I hope I can be of use to you on your journey," he said as he bowed his head. Yu looked surprised at such a Japanese sounding name and was about to ask a question before he was interrupted by Igor.

"We shall attend to the details another time," he started. "Until then, farewell…"

* * *

**Just a random oneshot I put together since I was bored. It has the possibility of being continued but it probably won't happen. I just wanted to throw it out there since the idea came to me after seeing footage from P3D of Makoto wearing the Velvet Room clothes. As you may have noticed I took some creative liberty with the final day of Persona 3. I feel that the way I wanted things to be would've been really awkward had I stuck with the way the game did the final day. Anyways, hope you guys can find some enjoyment from this, it was the product of a random thought, boredom, and three hours of free time.**


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